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VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks took the day off Tuesday, which gave Ryan Stanton time to work on his speech.

The defenceman will soon be in the spotlight, taking a twirl on the ice as the game’s first star, tossing his stick to admiring fans and clever one-liners to enthralled reporters. The 24-year-old waiver-wire pickup needs to be ready because surely his glorious National Hockey League night is coming.

How could it not be?

On Monday, it was Canuck rookie goalie Eddie Lack, undrafted and unsigned in the NHL until he was 22, who skated out post-game amid flashing camera bulbs and cheers of “Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!” after a 2-0 shutout against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Twenty-seven hours earlier, the first star and local hero in a 3-1 win against the Colorado Avalanche was Burnaby forward Mike Santorelli, who was waived by the Florida Panthers and dumped by the Winnipeg Jets last season. Santorelli accepted from the Canucks in July a two-way, free-agent contract that included the minimum NHL salary of $550,000 US and restaurant recommendations for Utica, N.Y., where Vancouver’s new farm team is based.

Santorelli is in the minor-league and prospects’ section of the Canucks’ media guide, but at least he is in it. Stanton, claimed on waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks on Sept. 30, missed the Canucks’ publishing deadline.

Lack is in the NHL section of the media guide only because former starter Cory Schneider was traded to the New Jersey Devils. But there is a lot of white space on Lack’s two pages. Not printed were the obvious questions about the goalkeeper’s readiness for the NHL after three seasons in the American Hockey League and major hip surgery last winter.

At the start of the season, questions about Stanton and Santorelli were more basic, like: How are their names spelled? And where did they play last year?

But not only are these three guys, from whom little was expected, having a great week, they’re having terrific seasons.

“I just wonder where we’d be if this wasn’t happening for us,” Canuck coach John Tortorella said after Monday’s win.

Where would the Canucks be without them?

“Not where we are right now,” winger Daniel Sedin said.

Given general manager Mike Gillis’ lack of certifiable upgrades to the Vancouver roster beyond the free-agent courtship and signing of fourth-line centre Brad Richardson, the best hope for improvement in the lineup was an uptick in performance from a few returning players and the breakthrough by a couple of the new ones.

Defenceman Chris Tanev and, to a lesser extent, Richardson and winger Chris Higgins have provided the uptick. The breakthroughs are coming from Stanton, Santorelli and Lack.

With only one NHL game on his resumé after three years in the Blackhawk organization, Stanton has not only dressed for every Canuck game this season, but contributed 11 points, a plus-four rating and timely toughness. And in the three games since top defenceman Alex Edler sprained his knee, Stanton has averaged 18:09 of ice time and helped push the Canucks’ winning streak to five games while Vancouver crept back into playoff position at 18-10-5.

“I wasn’t sure if I’d be an everyday guy or a seventh or eighth defenceman, in and out of the lineup,” Stanton, who is from St. Albert, Alta., said Monday night. “But if I got the shot to play, I just wanted to make the most of it and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

“It’s just hard work. I try to be a steady guy and not make mistakes. I try to not be noticed. Sometimes it’s easier to come in the league that way than trying to be a goal-scorer or first-line player or power play defenceman. I still have a lot to learn and this is a good team to be on for that because there are plenty of defencemen with tons of games — 500, 600, 700 games. Confidence is a huge thing, and I just want to keep building that and getting better every day.”

Asked if, after 33 games, the newness of playing in the NHL had worn off, Stanton said: “I don’t know if that ever wears off. I’m sure you get more used to it, but everyone in this dressing room is privileged to be in the NHL.

“I don’t think too many days go by when people aren’t grateful to be here.”

Lack also spent three years in the minors waiting for his NHL chance. He is 4-2 in six starts with a 2.08 goals-against average and .925 save rate. The 25-year-old from Sweden said the puck from his first shutout will go to his father.

With six professional seasons and more than 200 NHL games, Santorelli, who turns 28 on Saturday, has far more experience than either Stanton or Lack. But his NHL future was equally uncertain after the centre managed only two goals and four points in 34 games last season for Florida and Winnipeg. Yet, Santorelli has been one of the best half-dozen Canucks so far, amassing 21 points and a team-leading plus-10 rating while averaging 18:38 of ice time.

“If you’re given a spot and don’t really deserve it, it’s tough to come in to a new team,” Sedin said.

“But I think these guys have shown they’re a big part of this team. We’re an inclusive group and try to get new guys involved, but they’ve made it easy on themselves because they are a big part of our team. They’re not just here putting in time; they’re doing things that help us win games.”

“It’s all good stuff — and it’s a goaltender, it’s two defencemen and it’s a centre,” Tortorella said, adding Tanev to Stanton, Santorelli and Lack.

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